I think there is a big difference between a white person saying n-er and n-ga. The first one is an insult and is saying they are ignorant. However that word means ignorant and it doesn't need to be stated to a black person to still be offensive. The other one is more for jokes or swag hags. However, most of the time, neither of these words are used to seriously harm someone.

Also, I hate how the stereotype only goes for that and not cracker. One, why can I say cracker when it has the same offense to a white person as the other word should have to a black person? And also, why should they be able to call me that and I can't call them that? Double standards make this world screwed up sometimes.

That's a shame that he didn't get in trouble. My school was the opposite - I felt that Anglo-Celtic kids (especially girls) got off easier than minority kids. One Anglo-Saxon girl who was very cruel to me rarely got called out for it (I was happy the few times she got in trouble). Another girl who was mean to me - a Pakistani girl - did get in trouble frequently.

I try not to say anti-white words because I know they're wrong too. Racism never justifies reverse racism.

We don't have many as black people over in Australia as the US, but we realise how offensive the N word is. I still do not get why black people would want to use a word with such an ugly history (directed at them, no less!).

Well it's horrifying to know that words can cause such harm, actually. It was we who made the meanings, yeah? Just like that common words have turned to be insult forms, so vile that they're censored too.

I would avoid conflicts including this racist word because it's not right just to use this word as an insult, just because of the whole "you're-racist-blacks-are-equal-to-whites" thing, and that goes the same to anti-racist words.

And the common N-gah usage is more modernised swag, usually used like blacks and whites (I think) but without the insults. So it's not uncommon to see this used in raps, swag jokes, etc.

Still, it is considered offensive to use the N-word in general, I don't see why we shouldn't leave it be. Just a swear word with a controversial history.

Oh yes, I also feel cracker shouldn't be used as well, it doesn't do justice to the whole "all-equal" thing.

I don't think so. It's really up to context, how you say it, your intentions and who you say it too. if i see a white person calling another white person a ******, i think your a tool. if i see a community of black people calling each other *******, well good for them, it may sound ugly and offend some people, but they're taking an otherwise offensive word and embracing it as well as excluding those who in the past used it hurtfully. If your race hasn't been discriminated and enslaved for hundreds of years then you don't get to say that word. But again if your black friend is okay with you calling him/her that then no harm done.
think twice before saying it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rivuhh

I'm not offended by that at all. The N word means Ignorant. It has nothing to do with black people. However, when slavery was a thing, that's just what they called them. It evolved into a racial slur. And I think when that happened they retaliated with the word cracker. It's a double standard, dude.

ignorant is not a synonym of the n word buddy, it's a very small part of the meaning. it means inferior as well (why do people with your argument always leave that one out?). and definitions change. Meat meant food 2 thousand years ago, technically an apple was considered meat. definitions change and when it was associated with black people and even asians during the older days it's definition altered with it. cracker is no where near on the same level as the n word. not like your people got enslaved for hundreds of years with black people whipping you calling you guys crackers. maybe then you could compare the words. i dont see a double standard, everyone has slang words used to described them based on their skin colour. The N word is on another tier.

It's all about the way someone says it. If a white guys comes up to me and says "sup n-gh?" I'll answer with "not much bro, you?" but if you call me a "f-ing n-gh" I'll fight them. I don't care what race you are, use the word in a non provocative way and it doesn't matter - just like with most words. TBH the N word is too controversial - in my opinion as a black person - it should't be used. But it is. So, we just deal with it I guess.

If your race hasn't been discriminated and enslaved for hundreds of years then you don't get to say that word.

I really dislike this sentiment.
The Chinese were enslaved. The Irish were enslaved. There are countless races that throughount history have been treated like little more then dirt. Does that mean that if you're Chinese , or Irish that you can use racial slurs, but not if you're British, or Anglo-Saxon? Oh, wait, both the British and Anglo Saxons have been enslaved before too.
Racial discrimination against 'Black' people is bad, yes, but it's not the only kind. Saying "You can't say that word 'cause your white" is just as racist as using it.

The reasoning behind N-gh being not as bad as N-gr is that it was repurposed by the 'Black' population as a word meaning 'friend' or 'brother' or things or the ilk. Since it was repurposed, that means that everybody gets to use it like that. As I mentioned above, saying a word is only racist when a certain race uses it is just as racist as what the word was used as.

The world needs to come to a consensus; either the word is discriminating, or a friendly nickname. Period.

Oh, like 'Black' people with N-gh?
Sorry Live, but that statement doesn't have a lot of ground in a thread about a racial slur that people of said race use.

My point in mentioning that multiple other races have gone through the same sort of problem was to both exemplify how blinded what I quoted was, and, to a point, how over-concerned people are about the 'N' word.

People use slurs. Yeah, it's true, sad, but still true. The next best thing from halting all usage of said words is to repurpose then. The 'N' word has been repurposed, gay has been generally repurposed (again. . .), hell, the writers of South Park have started trying to repurpose a certain 'F' word that I'm sure all of us here know.
If you repurpose a word, then douchbags can use it all the **** they want, but it won't be offensive anymore. But, the main part of repurposing a word is to get over any offensive meaning it might have had. The more that people who use it in a friendly sense are scoffed at, the more the word will remain a slur.

I really dislike this sentiment.
The Chinese were enslaved. The Irish were enslaved. There are countless races that throughount history have been treated like little more then dirt. Does that mean that if you're Chinese , or Irish that you can use racial slurs, but not if you're British, or Anglo-Saxon? Oh, wait, both the British and Anglo Saxons have been enslaved before too.
Racial discrimination against 'Black' people is bad, yes, but it's not the only kind. Saying "You can't say that word 'cause your white" is just as racist as using it.

The reasoning behind N-gh being not as bad as N-gr is that it was repurposed by the 'Black' population as a word meaning 'friend' or 'brother' or things or the ilk. Since it was repurposed, that means that everybody gets to use it like that. As I mentioned above, saying a word is only racist when a certain race uses it is just as racist as what the word was used as.

The world needs to come to a consensus; either the word is discriminating, or a friendly nickname. Period.

you misunderstand, because a race of people have been enslaved doesn't mean they can use the word. like you pointed out they use the word n-gh and it pretty much means brother, like i mentioned in my earlier post was that they embraced what was an otherwise offensive word and made if friendlier. i guess it really depends what word we're talking about. the more modern term like i said is okay to use, by everyone if the person they're directing it at is okay with it (im guessing you didnt read my whole post). It's a very complicated word because it's original meaning was so dark and ugly and now its a term of endearment, thats a mighty jump and it's in it's own category because of that. Even when my white/yellow/brown friends call me n-ggh i don't feel like they say it because they care about me, they say it cause i'm black and they think they can get away with it because they're my friend. honestly when a dark skin friend calls me the word they understand the weight of the word and i know they really mean brother. its not just white people its EVERYBODY else. maybe a few of my close white friends can call me that. i don;t even like it when random black people direct it at me, it's not as bad cause i assume they understand the weight of the word but i still don't like it. i'm aware this is subjective.

you want people to decide whether or not its a racial slur or a term of endearment? only possible if you completely eliminate the use of the word directed as an insult. which is still used every single day by so many people. and its an unrealistic expectation, but it might happen one day. redefining a word takes along time to achieve. we're only half way to getting rid of the mean spirited n'ggr.

Lets not get into other races and racial slurs cause aint no body got time for that

Ehehehe, sorry guys, I just read over my posts a second time and realise that they kind of sound a bit *****y. Heh, I guess I was in a truely D&D-y mood earlier. Though seriously man, Live, there are so many flaws in that arguement. Dx

Sorry guys. :x

@Ash:
Yeah, I did read all the way through your post, but, I don't know. . . I took more offense from it then I should have, and despite reading all the way through, left little heed for most of it. Reading through both of them again, they do make sense, now. Please don't hate/avoid me now, I can assure you, I'm generally a very relaxed person!

Seriously guys, my bad. . . I'll keep the decompressing to the punching bags from now on. . .Oh, god, is that why there are so many people like that in D&D? Relax, people! Please!

Yes, Ash, I really wish more people had that sort of attitude! Even if something bothers you slightly doesn't mean the person meant it as offensive.
And yes, I know that there are people who still use it as an offensive term, but if the number of people who use it in a generally friendly manner outweigh the others long enough, then it's meaning will indeed shift entirerly.

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